Cristiano Ronaldo has successfully gotten used to life in Saudi Arabia after struggling to score in his debut game. He has also reclaimed his starting spot for the Portuguese national team.
Portugal has won two out of two games during the most recent international break, and Ronaldo has scored four goals to increase his international record to 122.
The 4-0 victory over Lichtenstein on Thursday saw Ronaldo make his 197th appearance, making him the player with the most international appearances in history. He scored two goals on the night as well, just like he did yesterday in Portugal’s 6-0 victory over Luxembourg.
Cristiano is rediscovering how to score goals
With his two goals against Luxembourg, Ronaldo has now scored 11 goals against the affluent tiny state, five more than any other nation.
The 38-year-first old’s goal from yesterday was the easiest for him to score because he was in the ideal spot to turn in a Nuno Mendes cross into an open goal. On the second goal, he slid the ball past the advancing goalkeeper after running onto a perfectly placed pass from Bruno Fernandes.
Although having a double, Ronaldo did have another moment that evening that nearly stole the show when he was given a yellow card for simulation.
The dive by Cristiano Ronaldo
The Al-Nassr player nutmegged Luxembourg’s Maxime Chanot as he approached the penalty area in the 57th minute with Portugal leading 4-0 and Ronaldo on for a hat-trick. He then comically threw himself at his opponent in search of a penalty.
Then, despite the fact that hundreds of cameras plainly showed his attempt to cheat, he had the gall to appeal for the infraction.
Thankfully, the referee detected the ruse right away and cautioned Ronaldo for his dive. He was substituted by Benfica’s emerging star Gonçalo Ramos in the 65th minute after failing to complete his hat-trick but after further extending some of his incredible international records.
Ronaldo increased his advantage at the top of the international and all-time rankings by making a record 198 appearances for his country and scoring an absurd 122 goals. With 832 goals scored so far in his career, the 38-year-old doesn’t appear to be intending to stop anytime soon.
Given his impeccable physical condition and the fact that he is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, no one would be surprised if Ronaldo continued to play well into his forties. You would also anticipate the footballing superstar to continue scoring goals at a healthy clip.
